Burgess Hill: New ultra-low carbon secondary school approved

An artist's impression of Bedelands Academy

Plans for a £57m secondary school in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, have been given a council's approval.

Bedelands Academy, an "ultra-low carbon" school for up to 900 pupils, will be part of an "all-through" primary and secondary school run by the University of Brighton Academies Trust.

The new school will be part of the Brookleigh housing development - formerly known as Northern Arc.

It will have a support centre for pupils with special educational needs.

The academy will also have a running track, football, rugby and hockey pitches.

Plans for its design, layout and scale were approved by Mid Sussex District Council on Thursday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

There will be parking for 66 staff cars, a drop-off spot for two taxis/minibuses and up to 12 cars, and space for 264 bicycles, with a further 150 spaces should the demand arise.

Access to the site will be via Northern Arc Avenue, which is being built as part of the Eastern Bridge and Link Road, which will join Freeks Lane to Isaacs Lane.

A West Sussex County Council spokesman said: "The [academy] is an exemplar development providing much-needed school places in a truly inspiring scheme that sets out to give future generations of local young people within Brookleigh and the Burgess Hill locality the best start in life."

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